Pneumatic ok compressed-air-cushion bed



R. A. LEIGH.

PNEUMATIC 0R COMPRESSE@ AIR CUSHION BED.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1919. 31,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A TTOHNE Y R. A. LEIGHJ PNEUMATIC 0R COMPRESSED AIR` CUSHION BED.'

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.2, |919- 1 35 1 ,480, vPatented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET A.l

afd? Arron/vn l .useful DENVER, (':o'no'nrino.` Y

rrr-numeric on. cor/rrREssEn-AIR-CUSHIQN BLD;

To all ui/tomi?? may concern f y Beit known .that I, RICHARD A. Linen, aV`V lCushiony Bed, of which the following is a specification. c My invention-relatesto alnew,V typejof. pneumatic orcompressedfair. cushion bed,

and the obj ects of myinvention are x.

:v First: To lprovide alcompressed :air Gush-iV vionv bed in which. one rcontinuouslength of an air receiving andjretaining'rubber tube is so circuitously arranged as to form an air cushioned bed surface when inflated under suitable vair pressure. f "'f in which independent outside ycoverings are providedwith a plurality of` air-tube receiving pockets,v and yijn-which the 'opposite sides of said coverings are-normally left open, lout are attachably land detachably ysecured together when said bed is under' air pressure;

y Third.: To provide 'acompressed aircush-l,V l

ioning'bedjthat can befilled withv air under lPressure, Without theuse .ofi anfalf inlet valve. l n, c y, y

`Fourth: Toprovide aY compressed air cushion bedhavin'g independent 'but coperating outside cover members in whichain tube portions or members are cooperatively or independently arranged to receive air and Vretain it under asuitable' pressure. i Fifth Tol provide a `compressed air enshioning bed thatis exceptionally lightfv in weight, simple in construction, inexpensive n to manufacture, easy torep'air, and thatv is horoughly practical-for Vallkinds of uses, and especially for outing camps... v

I attain these objects by the` mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which: f fg if Figure l is a-perspe'ctive view of theim'- proved pneumaticl mattress. f'

Fig. 2 is a sectional view,y in diagramyon the line 2-.2 of f" y c.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, on yanferilarged scale, on ltheline, 3-"-3of Fig. '1L' y Fig. 41 isf'a plan view,4 partly broken'away, of a portion yof a'fmodifed'V forrnof mattress, in which apluralityfof-individualair tubes,` are connected to, and supplied'with airj from a common filling tube.

Fig, 5 Sis i a lon-gitudinaly sectional view of 1 l.; y Specicfationof Letters Patent.

preferably-of the same size. f 1 i The side edges 3 andf4;,"of these two Second :To provide an air cushioning` bed" atena Augen iefcf.

y `Appliumonfinea otoberfz, 1519;'seria1 npzaopzof f MCHARD'? QFDITVER CORADO ASSIGNGE 'rov EDNA'AEEANCES' Elem or aportion of atube, showing afino'dication" .in the manner offlilling the vsayme'gandV `Referring to the drawingsi A My :new ytype of air cushion bed has yan outsidesupporting covering which may be made of any'suitable material, but which I Fig. 6 is a perspective viewvof aportion .preferablymake of strong, clo'selywoven y i rsubstantially water-*proof canvas. I prefer- `ably make ythis covering of two 'separate' vsheets of canvasl and 2', both of which are sheets of canvas are leftopen `for several inches,

:in order that' they 'may be overlapped and i zattacliably and detachably secured together,

will be fullyexplained hereinafter. The opposite ends and 6,01? theseftwo sheets,y however, are preferably4 closed :being sewedvor otherwise secured together.

I These two sheetsare .sewed or otherwise secured togethercrosswise of their lengths -alongthe lines 7, which are placed at substantially equal* predeterminedv distances apart. Thesey sewed or otherwise formed lines form partitionsand they will be desigside'of vthe loose ends of the twfolcanvas4` sheets;

n v The spaces between the sewed lines 7,

form pockets 8, andtv in these pockets I preferably place, a continuous lengthfof rubber Ytube 9, which is especially adapted to hold and retain an air pressure' sufficient 'to' sup-l c port several hundred pounds. Y v l ln placing this continuousr length of rub'- ber tubing` inthe pockets 8 ofY the outside f y,covers of my air cushionbe'd, Ifdo so when it' is'in a collapsed form; that is,when it isy y free from inflation by air pressure. Then I place one endof itin one endof one of the f pockets at the oppositeA endsof' the covers, "fand it doe`sjnot matterv whichferrdof the f covers lthe tube is startedfirmas-l both ends *f are'preferably alike. Then after its end/@has been'imoved throughr the endfjpoclet it is l inserted in, its end isturned aroundithead jacent end lof the"partitionfline7, intoand through 'the next pocket 8 around its n forward dividing partition 7," into the next pocket, and` so on progressively through all of the pockets, to the opposite end of'the covering. VVAround the ends of the partitions from one space 8, to the next one, throughout the length of the canvas covering and in eitherv oneJ or both ends, or ifY f ,desired, in the middle, of this continuous in the tube and secure it in one end of the tube, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The sideedges 3 and 4, ofthe two sheets of canvas that form the covering of -my pneumatic air-bed are arranged to be folded over each other, as shown in Fig. 3, and are fastened together. My invention contemplates any suitable kind of fastenings forV these two edges of the covering sheets. -I preferably use a frictional acting split plug 11,and a coperating socket 12, into which the plug is sprung by hand pressure, the vplugs 11, being fastenedto the edge offone sheet` andthe sockets to the edge of the other sheet opposite to the plug, as shownin Fig. 3.

My 'invention contemplates, instead of the continuous piece of air holding tubing eX- tending through the spaces 8, of the two sheets of canvas of the casing, a single and independent airvretaining tubing 18, in each pocket 8, of the outside covering portion of the bed. .Y v I One end of each of these individual air tubes 13, is closedfby any suitable means, but preferably by being pinched together and then cemented or vulcanized or otherwise securely fastened together.

At the oppositeends of the tubes, a long straight air tube '14, isplaced longitudinally of the length ofthe bed, andy a longitudinal pocket 15, is formed along oneedge of the coveringof the b ed for it. This longitudinal air tube 14, isprovided with an air inlet valve 15A, which may beI placed at either end or in the middle portion of'it,-or two or more airrinlet valves may be used at differ` end parts ofits length if desired.

This Alongitudinal tube 14, is connected with the independent air tubcs'i, that are .in the numerous pockets S, of the bed by couplings; 16, a part of each. coupling of which is .secured` to the longitudinal tube 14, and apart to the adjacent ends'` of the independent tubes.

,Iny this independent tube arrangement of my air cushion bed the longitudinal tube 14,

.isused asa general air filling tube for all .of the transversely arrangedindependent air tubesgl. Y

My method 'of'. filling the continuous length tube Q-,JthatI preferably use, andthread or weave .in a circuitous path throughoutthe length and breadth ofthe. bed-s covering portion,

invention, however, contemplates a ,and also of the short independent transverse tubes in the pockets 8, without the use of an air inletY valve.

invention contemplates theapplication to the insidey ofthe longtubes 9 and 14, and also to the short tubes 13, at a convenient and handy reached pointin their length, of a plug or boss 17, as shown in Fig. 5, of inherently `flexible v rubber which, however, must be of such a character or quality of rubber that is'free from any vulcanizing material or compound and that is of such a nature 'that it'ean be punctured by-a small hollow air needle 18, shown in Fig. 5, which, when'attached to a hand operating air pump and then pressed through the tubes and the boss or plug 17, allows the tubes to .be pumped full of air which will flow through theair needle until the desiredpressure is obtained in the tube or tubes. Then the needle is withdrawn and the puncture made by it will be closed bythe plug or boss of flexible rubber, which, under theV pressure of the air in the tubes, closesV automatically the puncture made in it by the' hollow needle. Y l

The operation of my new type of compressed air cushioning bed is as follows: The bed is kept normally with its air tube Yor tubestnon-inflated; that is, empty of air and rolled up, land it willroll up into a very small light weight bundle. Then it is desired to use it,'it is unrolled and its tube or tubes are filled with air with a hand or power pump, either throughthe air valve or the hollow air needle, until anV air pres'- sure, preferably of about from 5 to 10 pounds, depending on the weight of those This Vfeature of my I about to use it. The free open side. edges of the upper and lower cove-rings` of the air tubes are folded over each other and buttoned together and the bed is ready for use.

vAfter use, the free side edges are unbuttoned and the air is allowed to escape until the tube or tubes lie flat in their confining pockets; then the bed is rolled up until it is to, be used again.

My invention provides a` new, novel,

- -I-Iavingfdescribed my invention, what, I

I claim as; new. and, desire tov secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

1,., An afircu-shioning bedp comprising a pair of similar sized outside cover portions said tube and having ,theirV opposite side and air receiving and retaining rubber tubes'y secured between said ooverportions, ysaid,

routside' covers having loose and freeside edges, said side edges ontheiropposite sides being arranged to be attaoh'ably and detachr` formed by securing said covers together at predetermined distances apart lengthwise of said Covers, and said partitions `extending transversely across said covers to Within a few inches of the loose and free edges of said covers.

2. In an Vair-oushioning bed, the ooinbina-rl tion of two separate outside lbed Covers7V containing .pockets arranged and adaptedk to hold and Confiner a cireuitously arranged and a continuous piece of a round shaped compressed air. holding tubethat is varranged to turn around the opposite ends ,of

said pocketsk in successive orderffroinone end of said` bed to its opposite end, the said pockets between said separate v*bed `covers. being formedby sewing the covers together transversely'of their lengths and at equidistances apart throughout their lengths,-

and the twoseparate bed' covers having their head and foot ends secured tightlyy to- M gether around the opposite endvportionsof edges 'separately free from each other but single ipiece of around y'shaped compressed l air'holding tube o f a size to be inserted ably SeCuredtOgether, said portions y'being freely in the said pockets of said covers when deiated,y said single piece of roundl tube being inserted and woven eircuitously around the opposite ends of and through the poekets of said covers from one end of having theseveral transverse pocket form.-

ing partitionsl of said' covers arranged to stand at the opposite diametrioal horizon-V tal centers of each coily of said tube and-of the horizontal yplane of said bed throughout its length,l and an air inlet valvein said tube. v L n In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' RICHARD A. LEIGH.

` Witnesses: s :V

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT,

y ,y ELIZABETH SMITH. 

